Majorities in U.S. and Five Largest European Countries Consider Air Travel to Be Safe
NEW YORK, Dec. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — A new Financial Times/Harris Poll in the United States and the five largest European countries looks at air travel safety and security and finds an overall sense of safety prevails. Three-quarters of Spaniards (75%), more than seven in ten Britons (72%), more than two-thirds of Americans (69%) and Germans (68%), and more than three in five Italians (64%) and French (62%) all say they consider air travel to be safe. In fact, one-third of Britons (35%) and Americans (32%) say they consider it to be very safe.
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These are some of the findings of a Financial Times/Harris Poll conducted online by Harris Interactive® among 6,130 adults aged 16-64 within France (1,097), Germany (1,070), Great Britain (871), Spain (1,003), the U.S. (1,044) and adults aged 18-64 in Italy (1,045) between November 9 and 16, 2010.
Other interesting findings of this survey include:
- Considering some of the new airport security measures that have been put in place, such as removing shoes and no bottled water, around half of Germans (52%), French (49%), Americans (49%), Spaniards (48%) and Britons (47%) all say these current airport security measures are adequate and should not change. Italians are more torn, as two in five say both that these measures are adequate (41%) and the same number say that they are not rigid enough and should be made more rigid (41%);
- About one in five adults in each of the six countries (between 18% and 25%) believe that these security measures are too rigid and should be relaxed. When these adults were asked what should be relaxed or removed completely, adults said the limit on liquids (between 64% and 90%), having to fit cosmetics and liquids into a plastic bag (between 55% and 74%), and removing shoes and belts (between 45% and 75%) top the list;
- As full body scanners are rolled out in the United States, adults in all six countries say they support these devices being used. Strong majorities in Italy (68%), Great Britain (68%), France (65%), Germany (64%), the U.S. (62%) and Spain (59%) all mostly support the introduction of full body scanners in all major airports; and,
- One additional security measure is being discussed in the U.K.–profiling airline passengers at security, or targeting specific groups. Over half of Britons (54%), almost half of Americans (48%), and two in five Germans (43%), Spaniards (42%) and Italians (41%) would mostly support this additional security measure. French adults are of a different mindset with 41% saying they would mostly oppose this practice while 38% would mostly support it. There is also a great deal of uncertainty on this security measure as one in five adults in all six countries say they are not sure if they would support or oppose this measure.
So What?
As the holiday season kicks off around the world, many people will be flying this month. And, each of them will have to kick off their shoes, take their laptops out of bags and, perhaps, deal with a pat-down at security. However, these measures seem to be working, as adults in these six countries believe these current security measures are adequate and they feel safe when flying.
TABLE 1
ON THE SAFETY OF AIR TRAVEL
"Please tell us your view surrounding the safety of air travel. Do
you consider air travel to be...?"
Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults
U.S. Great France Italy Spain Germany
Britain
% % % % % %
Safe (NET) 69 72 62 64 75 68
Very safe 32 35 18 17 23 17
Somewhat safe 37 37 45 48 52 51
Neither safe nor
unsafe 13 12 30 29 17 20
Unsafe (NET) 18 16 7 7 8 12
Somewhat unsafe 12 12 5 5 6 6
Very unsafe 5 4 2 2 2 6
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 2
ON THE RIGIDNESS OF CURRENT AIRPORT SECURITY MEASURES
"Some experts have argued that some relatively new airport security
procedures for passengers, such as no bottled water and removing
shoes should be relaxed as they are unnecessarily rigid. What do you
think?"
Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults
U.S. Great France Italy Spain Germany
Britain
% % % % % %
Current airport security
measures are adequate and
should not change 49 47 49 41 48 52
Current airport security
measures are not rigid
enough and should be made
more rigid 30 30 29 41 27 30
Current airport security
measures are too rigid and
should be relaxed 20 23 21 18 25 18
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 3
STEPS TO RELAX/REMOVE FROM AIRPORT SECURITY
"You say that you feel current airport security measures are too
rigid. Which steps should be relaxed or removed completely?"
Base: All EU and U.S. adults who think that airport security measures
should be relaxed
U.S. Great France Italy Spain Germany
Britain
% % % % % %
100ml limits on liquids 76 64 79 76 79 90
Removing shoes and belts 64 75 69 57 74 45
Having to fit cosmetics
and liquids into a
plastic bag 60 59 66 55 57 74
Taking laptops out of bags 22 26 20 27 29 21
Being personally scanned
and examined with metal
detectors 19 11 12 8 12 12
Another step 21 7 7 4 8 5
Note: Multiple responses accepted
TABLE 4
SUPPORT FOR FULL BODY SCANNERS AT AIRPORT SECURITY
"Some safety authorities are pushing for the introduction of full
body scanners in all major airports. Would you mostly support or
oppose this additional security measure?"
Base: All EU adults in 5 countries and U.S. adults
U.S. Great France Italy Spain Germany
Britain
% % % % % %
Mostly support 62 68 65 68 59 64
Mostly oppose 18 16 15 15 19 22
Not sure 20 15 20 16 22 14
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 5
SUPPORT FOR PROFILING PASSENGERS AT AIRPORT SECURITY IN UK
"In the UK there is discussion about 'profiling' airline passengers
at security. This could mean security staff targeting specific
groups - for example people who look like they are from the Middle
East. Would you mostly support or oppose this additional security
measure?"
Base: All EU adults in 5 countries and U.S. adults
U.S. Great France Italy Spain Germany
Britain
% % % % % %
Mostly support 48 54 38 41 42 43
Mostly oppose 32 24 41 37 36 36
Not sure 20 22 21 21 22 21
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
Methodology
This FT/Harris Poll was conducted online by Harris Interactive among a total of 6,130 adults aged 16-64 within France (1,097), Germany (1,070), Great Britain (871), Spain (1,003), the U.S. (1,044) and adults aged 18-64 in Italy (1,045) between November 9 and 16, 2010. Figures for age, sex, education, region and Internet usage were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult populations of the respective countries. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of Harris Interactive.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls and the British Polling Council.
The Harris Poll® #148, December 1, 2010
By Regina A. Corso, SVP, Harris Poll, Public Relations and Youth Research, Harris Interactive
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is one of the world’s leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us – and our clients – stay ahead of what’s next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.
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SOURCE Harris Interactive
